On the Trail. . .At Eco-Friendly Races

Runners take to the trails for many reasons. Some search for varying terrain to avoid injury while others can’t resist the challenge of bounding up a rocky ravine. Most of us, however, run trails because it gives us something pavement can’t: the chance to surround ourselves in the wild.

Spray-painted roots, eroded trails, mounds of styrofoam cups: This is not what most trail runners want to see in the woods or leave behind after a trail race. With a little extra planning, a few extra bucks, and a handful of committed volunteers, we don’t have to. As race organizer and long-time athlete Jeff Crumbaugh demonstrates, we can minimize our ecological footprint by the choices we make in organizing and conducting a trail race.

Crumbaugh has pioneered efforts to operate "green" races during his Keweenaw Trail Running Festival that takes place each July in Michigan’s rugged Upper Peninsula. The series consists of three tough races in 24 hours, including a 10K run along the bluffs and shore of Lake Superior, a hill climb to the summit of Mount Baldy that rises 821 vertical feet over 5.8K, and a grueling 25K run through forest trails, steep river gorges, and open meadows. In its fifth year, the festival now attracts hundreds of runners from all over North America.

But increasing attendance is not what excites Crumbaugh the most. He prides himself on using the trail runs to raise environmental awareness and to promote a spirit of camaraderie. His enthusiasm is contagious. At last year’s post-race ceremony, the loudest applause came when Crumbaugh brandished one partially filled garbage bag, explaining this was the sum total going to the landfill for a race that boasted more than 230 participants, plus additional volunteers, family members, and friends.

Although physical impacts of a race are relatively easy to spot, many environmental costs are hidden. Crumbaugh points to the hidden environmental cost of a common goodie found at races: T-shirts. A typical T-shirt made from conventionally grown cotton requires a half pound of pesticide—pesticide that eventually leaches into the streams, lakes and rivers that trail runners love and on which wildlife depend. Crumbaugh uses only organic shirts in his races. Though they cost nearly twice as much, he justifies the extra expense, saying, "I can pay for this now, or someone else can pay for this later, in human and environmental costs."

Here are a few suggestions on how to minimize the environmental impact of your race:

BEFORE THE RACE

When advertising the race, organizers should make liberal use of the Internet, offering on-line registration to reduce paper usage whenever possible. The announcements should urge runners to bring their own water bottles and carpool. Carpool sign-up sheets can be left at the race hotel for out-of-towners who would like to commute to the starting line together.

When planning the course, organizers and volunteers should stick to established trails and identify low spots that get widened during a race when runners scramble off-trail to avoid losing a shoe in the muck. Consider setting down temporary wood planks or working with the landowners to build a more permanent structure, perhaps choosing just one site per year for major improvements. The mountain bike group in the Keweenaw area meets Tuesday evenings in the summer for trail maintenance, and runners are now beginning to join in. This long-term commitment to the land builds good relations with the local authorities whether they be park rangers or the Nature Conservancy. Making trail improvements also helps ensure access to the trails the following year.

DURING THE RACE

Reducing your ecological footprint during the race takes relatively little effort. Crumbaugh objects to spray-painted roots, done, presumably, for the runners’ safety. "Safety," he smirked. "If you want safety, run a road race. Trail running is about adventure. It’s about enhancing awareness, not diminishing it. If you become aware, you don’t need the orange paint to see the roots." For particularly gnarly sections, removable surveyor’s tape or a cluster of flags can steer people clear of roots and holes that can twist an ankle.

Race organizers can use the pre-race briefing to call attention to ecologically sensitive areas to avoid, especially near starting or finish lines where people tend to fan out. For example, in the Keweenaw Trail Running series, the Hill Climb runs through Nature Conservancy lands and ends at the summit of Lookout Mountain, with views of vast forests and Lake Superior stretching to the horizon. It is no surprise that runners want to linger, but the plants surviving in this exposed, windswept area are particularly vulnerable to human impact. In response to concerns from the Nature Conservancy, Crumbaugh has volunteers cordon off sensitive areas with surveyor’s tape the day before the race, preventing finishers and waiting fans from trampling the fragile lichens as they mill around at the finish line.

AFTER THE RACE

Hosting a post-race breakfast is perhaps the biggest challenge, requiring more advance planning, more volunteers, and yes, more money than a conventional snack on plastic plates. Crumbaugh uses real dishes and silverware, rented from a university cafeteria. After eating, volunteers rinse and load the dishes in stackable dishwasher trays and haul them back to the university. Landfill contributions can further be reduced by offering three canisters at each garbage station: one for recyclables, one for food scraps that can be composted, and one for garbage. Local gardeners are usually glad to take the compost.

Perhaps the most important step in conducting a "green" race is educational outreach, taking a few minutes in the awards ceremony to explain the rationale behind using real plates and removable flags instead of Dixie cups and spray paint, pointing out the connection between ourselves, our sport, and our environment. This educational piece is crucial in raising awareness so that trail runners incorporate these concepts of sustainable living in their personal lives and pass them along to other races in other locales.

At this point some race organizers may feel daunted by the extra work or they may be skeptical that the extra effort really matters. As to the first point, start small, adding one or two "green" components each year. As to whether it really matters, the answer, emphatically, is "Yes!" Though one particular trail race in Michigan may sport fewer than 300 people, multiply that by hundreds of races in 50 states, and you can see the cumulative effect. By running a sustainable race event, one that respects both the generosity and limitations of nature, we can decrease our footprint substantially.

Ray Sharp commented at the last Keweenaw Trail Running Fest, "Runners live conscious lives. We consider what to eat to give optimal energy. We think about what to wear to protect ourselves from injury and the elements. We make sure we wear the best clothing, the best shoes, and we think about the purpose of each training session. Taking care of the earth is just an extension of taking care of ourselves."